Release Detail

October 30, 1997 - City Is Safer, But Schools Got Worse In Last 4 Years,
New Yorkers Tell Quinnipiac College Poll;
Crime And Education Are Top Concerns

A total of 70 percent of New York City voters say the city is a "very safe" or
"somewhat safe" place to live, according to a Quinnipiac College Poll released today. And
54 percent say the city is safer than it was four years ago, while 10 percent say it less safe and
36 percent say it is the same.

A total of 96 percent of those who say the city is safer give "some" or "most" of the
credit to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

Among black voters, 63 percent say the city is "very safe" or "somewhat safe," while
31 say it is safer than four years ago; 76 percent of white voters say the city is "very safe" or
"somewhat safe," while 67 percent say it is safer; 64 percent of Hispanic voters say the city is
"very safe" or "somewhat safe," while 44 percent say it is safer.

"Perhaps the most significant finding of this pre-election Quinnipiac College Poll: New
Yorkers feel safe in the city. And they believe the city has grown safer since Mayor Giuliani
has been in City Hall," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac College Polling
Institute.

Asked to list the single most important problem facing New York City today, 33
percent of voters say crime or drugs or lack of police, while 27 percent say education and 10
percent list the economy or jobs.

Only 20 percent of New York City voters are "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied"
with the quality of public schools, while 72 percent are "somewhat dissatisfied" or "very
dissatisfied."

Fourteen percent say schools have gotten better in the last four years, while 36 percent
say they've gotten worse, and 40 percent say they've stayed the same. Of those who say
schools got worse, 77 percent say some or most of the change is due to the policies of Mayor
Giuliani.

"The two big problems concerning New Yorkers are crime and education. Giuliani
gets good grades for crime, but needs to do some homework on the education issue," Carroll
said.

From October 21 - 27, Quinnipiac College surveyed 994 New York City residents who
say they are registered voters. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent. The
Quinnipiac College Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, conducts public opinion surveys in
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as a public service and for research.

15. What do you think are the most important problems facing New York City
today? (Column percentages add up to more than 100% because multiple responses
were allowed)

Tot Wht Blk His Men Wom

Budget/Finances 4% 5% 2% 3% 5% 2%

Crime/Drugs/Lack of
police 55 55 56 60 51 59

Education 47 47 45 48 41 52

Economy/Jobs 24 23 31 18 28 21

Environment 5 7 - 1 5 5

Housing and rental costs 11 11 10 8 9 12

Healthcare/Medical ref. 2 1 3 2 2 3

Immigration 2 3 1 4 3 2

Poor/Homeless 12 9 19 11 8 15

Public transportation 9 12 5 8 14 6

Quality of life 2 2 1 1 2 1

Race relations 8 9 9 3 10 6

Police/Police brutality 10 7 14 16 10 11

Taxes 9 11 5 9 10 8

Welfare 5 5 5 4 4 6

Other 15 15 15 13 15 14

DK/NA 2 2 1 2 2 2

16. Of those that you've mentioned, what do you think is the most important
problem today? (Column percentages add up to more than 100% because multiple
responses were allowed)

Tot Wht Blk His Men Wom

Budget/Finances 1% 1% - - 1% -

Crime/Drugs/Lack of
police 33 36 30 36 31 35

Education 27 25 25 29 25 28

Economy/Jobs 10 8 14 6 10 9

Environment 1 1 1 - 1 1

Housing and rental costs 3 3 3 3 2 3

Healthcare/Medical ref. 1 - 1 - 1 1

Immigration 1 1 - - 1 -

Poor/Homeless 4 2 6 11 2 5

Public transportation 1 2 - - 2 -

Quality of life 1 1 - - 1 -

Race relations 3 2 4 1 4 2

Police/Police brutality 3 2 4 5 4 2

Taxes 2 2 1 1 2 1

Welfare 1 2 1 - 1 2

Other 6 6 8 4 5 6

DK/NA 5 5 3 3 5 4

31. In general, how satisfied are you with the quality of the public schools
in New York City today? Are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied,
somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied?

Tot Wht Blk His Men Wom

Very satisfied 3% 2% 3% 4% 3% 2%

Smwht satisfied 17 17 13 26 18 16

Smwht dissatisfied 30 32 32 23 33 27

Very dissatisfied 42 37 49 41 36 46

DK/NA 9 12 4 6 10 8

32. Compared to 4 years ago, do you feel that the quality of the public
schools in New York City have gotten better, gotten worse, or stayed about the
same?

Tot Wht Blk His Men Wom

Gotten better 14% 16% 9% 15% 16% 12%

Gotten worse 36 25 52 40 29 41

Stayed same 40 45 36 38 45 37

DK/NA 10 14 3 6 10 9

33. How much of this change is due to the policies of Rudolph Giuliani
- most of it, some, or none?

Gotten Gotten
Better Worse

Most 39% 29%

Some 46 48

None 10 17

DK/NA 5 5

34. Do you think New York City is a very safe place to live, somewhat safe,
somewhat unsafe, or very unsafe?

Tot Wht Blk His Men Wom

Very safe 10% 11% 6% 11% 12% 7%

Smwht safe 60 65 57 53 65 56

Smwht unsafe 22 20 25 25 18 26

Very unsafe 7 3 11 11 4 9

DK/NA 1 1 1 - 1 2

35. Compared to 4 years ago, do you feel that New York City has become a
safer place to live, a less safe place to live, or stayed about the same?

Tot Wht Blk His Men Wom
Safer 54% 67% 31% 44% 66% 43%

Less safe 10 5 18 13 7 12

Same 36 27 51 42 26 43

DK/NA 1 1 1 1 1 1

37. How much of this change is due to the policies of Rudolph Giuliani
- most of it, some, or none?